Written by Eric Warren Singer, American tells the true story of the FBI’s 1980 undercover sting operation of Congress, dubbed Abscam, which was created by "the world’s greatest con man" to root out corruption. The script was in the top 10 of the 2012 Black List.

Russell is only attached at this point and moving forward may depend on casting the project’s two main leads.

The director earned an Oscar nomination for his most recent film, 2010's The Fighter. His next project, the Bradley Cooper-Jennifer Lawrence comedy The Silver Linings Playbook, is due in the fall. Other credits include I Heart Huckabees and Three Kings.